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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: face · wind · suit · nail · date · ground · stick · lash

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. suit — clothes
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wind — to turn a key

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