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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 · hide · rash · land · bore · last · snap

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. snap — to click
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — to come down
  14. bore — to tire
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. last — final
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — ground
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  24. land — a country

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