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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. track — a song
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — to rob
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — final
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. track — a path
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mug — a cup
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bass — the fish

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