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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: temple · lie · lash · coach · sharp · rest · fall · foot

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — a measure
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rest — a break
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fall — the season
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — to recline
  24. foot — the bottom

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