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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · mug · fan · roll · date · pitch · lash · temple

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. roll — a cake
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mug — a face
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. roll — a list
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — a trail
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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