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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.

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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: lie · present · temple · sharp · fall · club · bay · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. present — a gift
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — the time now
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fall — the season
  18. club — for dancing
  19. present — there
  20. lie — to recline
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — a group
  24. sharp — exactly

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