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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
468
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: stand · hand · bear · temple · cold · lash · nail · can

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cold — not warm
  15. hand — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stand — for spectators

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