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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · fork · lash · plane · mate · saw · dip · fan

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — to get on
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. board — a committee
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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