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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. root — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — a hat
  9. net — for catching
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. charge — in control
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — to drop
  18. charge — electricity
  19. root — the cause
  20. swing — music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — a lid
  24. net — in sport

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