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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: cold · season · nail · mug · lash · temple · mark · racket

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cold — an illness
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — not warm
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. season — of the year
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a face
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. season — in sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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