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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 · safe · file · jam · wind · swing · temple · last

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. swing — in golf
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. file — a tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. swing — to play on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wind — moving air
  10. file — a document
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a line of people
  13. last — finally
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. swing — music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. last — final
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — to go on
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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