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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · dip · spell · club · hide · land · face · nail

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. club — for golf
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — to come down
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. land — ground
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — magic
  10. club — a group
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. land — a country
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — to confront
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — letters
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — for a hammer

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