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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
468
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: club · dip · ball · plane · chip · lash · temple · lean

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — thin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for golf
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — a sauce

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