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

Word bank: track · chest · bowl · fan · temple · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. 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. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — a song
  15. chest — a box
  16. track — to keep track
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. 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