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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · rush · mate · lash · ball · wave · toast · bass

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. toast — bread
  6. bass — the fish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — low music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rush — hurry
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mate — to breed
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wave — with your hand

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