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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fall — the season
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cap — a hat
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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