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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: pop · temple · last · lash · roll · foot · net · rock

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. roll — a cake
  4. foot — a measure
  5. last — finally
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. roll — a list
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. last — to go on
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. net — for catching
  24. lash — an eyelash

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