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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: bowl · game · nail · lean · drill · lash · row · hide

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — army training
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lean — to bend
  18. row — a line
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. hide — to keep secret

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