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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: lash · trunk · lie · temple · hand · race · patient · cabinet

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — to recline
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — the arms race
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — humankind

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