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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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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: cap · temple · bass · lean · lash · cold · dip · mine

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cold — an illness
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bass — low music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cap — a hat

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