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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: wake · lash · cold · bear · hide · nail · bowl · cue

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bowl — to roll

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