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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: club · land · bowl · firm · face · lash · cap · trunk

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. land — ground
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. firm — decided
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cap — a lid
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — part of the head
  22. club — a group
  23. firm — steady
  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