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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 · temple · plane · hide · racket · bore · tear · spell

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — to rip
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — to tire
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — magic
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — to lash out

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