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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: bowl · toast · temple · chest · straw · object · lash · bass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. object — an aim
  3. chest — a box
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — a thing
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. toast — bread
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — low music
  23. object — to protest
  24. straw — a straw man

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