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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: kick · stem · temple · land · lash · tear · bear · hide

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. land — to come down
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — ground
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tear — to rip
  14. land — a country
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bear — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hide — animal skin

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