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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 124 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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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: bay · craft · squash · file · wake · dip · net · sharp

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. file — a line of people
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. file — a document
  7. sharp — clever
  8. file — a tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. net — after costs
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — a trail
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. craft — boats
  18. net — for catching
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wake — before a funeral

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