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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 120 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: hand · rule · swing · lash · nail · ball · craft · temple

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. swing — in golf
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hand — help
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. craft — boats
  12. hand — in cards
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. swing — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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