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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — in sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — of the year
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — a break
  23. current — of water
  24. lash — to lash out

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