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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · dip · staff · trunk · row · lash · face · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — part of the head
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. face — to confront
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to dunk

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