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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: hide · cabinet · temple · kick · lash · march · sharp · spell

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. march — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. spell — a short time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — letters
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spell — magic

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