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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 · mug · dip · rash · tube · present · bowl · lash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — a series
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. present — there
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. present — the time now

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