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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. last — finally
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — in music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — final
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. capital — a city
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cue — a hint
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. capital — money
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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