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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: cold · board · dip · object · branch · lash · pitch · mark

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cold — not warm
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — an aim
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. board — a committee
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cold — an illness
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. object — to protest
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — to get on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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