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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.

Make a worksheet

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: dip · can · land · stick · roll · hide · lash · mark

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. roll — a list
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. land — ground
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — a trace

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