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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: last · spell · board · hand · wind · lash · deal · hide

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — finally
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hand — help
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. last — final
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — to get on
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a committee
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. spell — magic
  23. hand — in cards
  24. last — to go on

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