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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: craft · dip · date · field · lash · ball · rush · mouse

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. field — a subject
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. field — for sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a great time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. date — the fruit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. field — farmland
  23. rush — a thrill
  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