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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fall — to drop
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. firm — decided
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — steady
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. snap — to click
  15. swing — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. swing — in golf
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — a company
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — in sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com