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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — low music

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