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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: wake · rush · craft · lash · temple · roll · game · leaves

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — wild animals
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rush — hurry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — a match
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. roll — a cake
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. temple — a place of worship

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