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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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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: hand · fall · face · arm · lash · deal · swing · fan

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. swing — to play on
  3. face — to confront
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. swing — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hand — help
  11. fall — the season
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fan — a supporter

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