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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — low music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — to paddle
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. field — a subject
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. row — a line
  17. field — farmland
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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