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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.

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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: bay · lash · mark · mouse · leaves · land · temple · calf

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mark — a grade
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — ground
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. leaves — to go away

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