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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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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: fine · charge · hand · hide · foot · saw · land · lash

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. land — ground
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — in cards
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — a country
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hand — help

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