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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 120 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: firm · craft · drill · sharp · rash · lash · mate · dip

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. firm — steady
  4. mate — to breed
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — boats
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. drill — army training
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. drill — the tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. firm — a company

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