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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 · rash · deal · season · calf · swing · rush · hide

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — hasty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — to handle
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lash — an eyelash

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