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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
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: lash · kick · chair · face · clip · rush · trunk · fine

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kick — in football
  11. clip — a video
  12. chair — a leader
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rush — hurry
  23. clip — for paper
  24. chair — to sit on

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