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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: fork · pop · lash · temple · bay · stick · content · mine

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — for digging
  7. content — happy
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pop — soda
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. content — the amount
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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