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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 120 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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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: hide · lash · lean · arm · bear · swing · hand · cap

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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