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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: chest · row · lash · stick · temple · coach · staff · hide

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chest — a box
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chest — of your 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