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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.

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: dip · clip · trunk · rash · file · club · lash · hide

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — a video
  3. rash — a series
  4. file — a tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. club — for dancing
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. club — a group
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. lash — an eyelash

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