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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: wake · mine · lash · trunk · temple · row · lie · chest

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — to recline
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mine — for digging
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chest — a box
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — a line
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. temple — a place of worship

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