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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. clip — a video
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. club — a group
  11. roll — a list
  12. clip — for paper
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mine — for digging
  19. club — for golf
  20. rest — a break
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rest — what's left
  23. roll — a cake
  24. temple — a place of worship

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