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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 116 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: nail · bowl · hand · squash · lash · pitcher · hide · fine

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hand — help
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — all right
  24. hide — to keep secret

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