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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 · arm · temple · march · date · squash · bay · toast

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. march — music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. arm — part of the body

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