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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: wake · hide · craft · pitcher · mine · last · foot · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. last — to go on
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. last — finally
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. last — final
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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