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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 120 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: lash · fine · fall · tube · last · cap · bear · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — a container
  9. last — finally
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fine — all right
  15. last — to go on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fall — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — final
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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