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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 116 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: craft · shower · saw · court · object · mine · lash · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — for sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of a king
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. shower — to wash
  11. court — of law
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. object — to protest
  14. craft — boats
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. shower — rain
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. object — an aim
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. object — a thing

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