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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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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 · hide · nail · roll · tear · wave · calf · chest

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — from crying
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hide — animal skin

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