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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: temple · fall · ground · drill · row · hand · hide · rock

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ground — the earth
  6. row — a line
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. drill — army training
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — help
  23. ground — crushed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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