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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: roll · mug · hide · wind · lash · wound · kid · rush

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. roll — a list
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kid — child
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mug — a face
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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