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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. dip — to sink
  5. field — a subject
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. field — farmland
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — for sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bowl — to roll

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