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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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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: content · temple · lash · object · fall · kid · cue · chair

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. kid — child
  10. cue — for pool
  11. content — the amount
  12. object — a thing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — happy
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — to sit on

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