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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 116 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: lash · hide · nail · net · safe · kid · land · face

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — to point toward
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — a country
  6. kid — to tease
  7. land — to come down
  8. net — after costs
  9. face — part of the head
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. net — for catching
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. land — ground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — a strongbox

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