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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: hide · lash · lean · chair · temple · cell · game · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — thin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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