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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 · bat · wake · mouse · temple · hide · wound · board

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. board — to get on
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. board — a committee
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bat — the animal

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