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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — a hat
  3. last — finally
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — of ice
  14. last — final
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kid — to tease
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kid — child
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. last — to go on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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