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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: toast · suit · court · temple · last · stock · wave · lash

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — in cards
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. suit — to fit
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stock — shares
  15. last — to go on
  16. stock — goods
  17. court — for sport
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. court — of law
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. last — final
  22. court — of a king
  23. toast — bread
  24. last — finally

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