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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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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: bat · bound · rest · mark · craft · temple · lash · prune

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bound — certain
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. craft — boats
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — a break
  24. prune — the fruit

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