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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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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 · ruler · temple · plane · stem · swing · hide · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stem — to come from
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — a tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. swing — music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — after costs
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. plane — an aircraft

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