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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: row · hide · lean · temple · rest · saw · lash · craft

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rest — what's left

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