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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: degree · dip · key · craft · hide · club · toast · lash

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. club — for dancing
  4. craft — boats
  5. club — for golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. degree — from a university
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. degree — an amount
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — temperature
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — a group
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. craft — a skill
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lash — to lash out

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