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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 120 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: wave · net · dip · lash · court · craft · bay · kick

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. court — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. net — for catching
  6. kick — in football
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — boats
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. net — after costs
  15. court — of a king
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. net — in sport
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. dip — to sink
  23. court — of law
  24. craft — a skill

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