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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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468
Word bank
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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. dip — to sink
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tear — to rip
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. club — for golf
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. craft — boats
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. club — a group

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