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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 · lash · spell · trunk · clip · rock · stand · lie

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — a video
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — help
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rock — a stone

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