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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: fall · temple · drill · trunk · craft · hide · lash · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — a skill
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. craft — boats
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fall — the season
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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