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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · face · hide · spell · leaves · rush · lash · cold

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. face — part of the head

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