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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · trunk · dip · land · pass · content · craft · sharp

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. content — happy
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — the amount
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — a skill
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. land — a country
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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