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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: face · court · suit · dip · lash · kick · hide · club

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — for golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kick — in football
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — of law
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. face — to point toward
  14. court — for sport
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. club — for dancing
  22. dip — to sink
  23. club — a group
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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