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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: sharp · lash · tear · date · temple · kid

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kid — to tease
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kid — child
  18. 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