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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: club · last · present · object · rest · fall · temple · lash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — to drop
  7. object — an aim
  8. present — there
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. present — the time now
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — to drop
  16. club — for golf
  17. present — a gift
  18. club — a group
  19. last — final
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fall — the season
  23. last — finally
  24. object — a thing

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