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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: lash · cold · bay · pit · craft · temple · pop · wax

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pit — a hole
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pop — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pop — soda

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