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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: dip · race · lash · capital · lie · kick · wax · temple

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. capital — a city
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — the arms race
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — to grow
  18. capital — money
  19. kick — in football
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lie — an untruth

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