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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.

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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: roll · dip · mug · prune · drill · bay · lash · board

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. roll — a list
  3. drill — army training
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — a committee
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. roll — a cake
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mug — to rob

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