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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: temple · suit · wound · lie · bound · hand · lash · craft

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bound — certain
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — to fit
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bound — obliged
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lie — an untruth

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