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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: bay · lash · roll · toast · ground · band · bear · temple

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. band — a music group
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. band — a ring
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. toast — bread
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ground — crushed
  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