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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
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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: lash · temple · content · bat · swing · season · hand · safe

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hand — help
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. season — in sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. swing — music
  17. content — the amount
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. content — happy

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