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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · lash · temple · wave · dip · cabinet · hand · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — help
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lean — to bend
  20. dip — to sink
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lean — to rest against

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