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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cap — a hat

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