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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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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: wind · racket · roll · fan · hide · lash · kick · bowl

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — a list
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kick — in football
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wind — to turn a key

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