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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: calf · nail · rash · wind · lean · lash · cold · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — a series
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lean — thin

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