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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — help
  6. craft — boats
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pound — a weight
  20. hand — in cards
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bat — in an idiom

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