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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · row · bore · chair · saw · land · hide · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — to come down
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — ground
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chair — a leader
  24. row — a line

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