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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: temple · land · mate · arm · mug · mine · fine · lash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. land — a country
  4. mate — to breed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — to come down
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mine — for digging
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mug — a face

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