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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. tube — a container
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to sink
  17. tube — the underground
  18. season — of the year
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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