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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.

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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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Word bank
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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: band · lash · temple · ground · lean · swing · last · mark

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a ring
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. last — to go on
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — finally
  7. ground — the earth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mark — a grade
  10. swing — to play on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — music
  15. last — final
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. band — a music group
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — a position
  21. mark — a trace
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — crushed
  24. swing — in golf

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