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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: ground · rush · lash · shower · roll · drill · hide · row

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — army training
  8. ground — a position
  9. shower — rain
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. ground — the earth
  14. roll — a list
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — hurry

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