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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: bank · dip · bowl · hide · lash · straw · wax · bear

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bank — for money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. straw — a straw man

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