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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a dance
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a committee
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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