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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 120 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: game · cabinet · rush · lash · key · temple · wave · pit

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — in music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. game — a match
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. key — the most important part
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — wild animals
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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