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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: racket · fine · lash · safe · swing · lie · clip · land

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — ground
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — all right
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. swing — in golf
  12. land — a country
  13. fine — high quality
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. land — to come down
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lie — to recline
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — a video
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — a penalty

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