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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.

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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — to sink
  6. craft — a skill
  7. track — a song
  8. craft — boats
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — to keep track

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