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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cap — of ice
  5. content — happy
  6. cell — a phone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pass — a permit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. content — the amount
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cell — in biology
  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