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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. degree — temperature
  15. branch — a division
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rest — a break
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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