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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: roll · kid · bank · hide · lash · face · last · mouse

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. roll — a list
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kid — child
  15. face — part of the head
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. face — to confront
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lash — an eyelash

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