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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: bound · ground · hand · staff · rock · hide · rush · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ground — a position
  11. rock — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — certain
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — the earth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — crushed
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rock — a stone

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