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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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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: lash · board · stand · pop · wake · dip · land · object

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — a country
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. land — to come down
  8. pop — soda
  9. land — ground
  10. object — a thing
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. board — to get on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. pop — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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