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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: dip · land · scale · lash · wake · stick · mine · deal

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — a country
  6. scale — in music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. land — to come down
  16. mine — for digging
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — to sink
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lash — to lash out

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