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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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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 · nail · face · lean · rush · roll · hide · cold

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. roll — a list
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lean — thin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — to confront
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cold — an illness
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cold — not warm
  24. face — part of the head

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