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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: lash · fall · season · nail · chest · hide · swing · bound

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fall — to drop
  3. swing — in golf
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fall — the season
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chest — a box
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — in sport
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bound — certain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. season — of the year
  24. swing — music

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