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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.

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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: rash · sharp · mug · hide · nail · lash · kick · board

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — to rob
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — a committee
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kick — in football
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — to get on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mug — a face
  23. nail — on a finger
  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