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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · hand · race · mug · rush · bowl · field · lash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — help
  9. field — a subject
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. race — humankind
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — farmland
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. field — for sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. race — a contest
  24. mug — a cup

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