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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · rash · kick · lash · nail · hide · bore · key

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rash — hasty
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. key — the most important part
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rash — a series
  24. key — in music

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