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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.

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: sharp · present · net · cell · last · dip · lash · wake

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — for catching
  9. cell — in biology
  10. last — finally
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. last — final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wake — before a funeral

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