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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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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 · lash · bay · racket · dip · wind · roll · clip

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. dip — to sink
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. face — to point toward
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wind — moving air
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wind — moving air

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