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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bank — of a river
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kick — in football
  17. cap — of ice
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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