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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.

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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. board — a committee
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — to get on
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — boats
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitch — completely
  19. current — of water
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. craft — a skill
  23. dip — to sink
  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