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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 · hand · calf · coach · wound · hide · mouse · snap

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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