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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — an aim
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rest — a break
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pound — a weight

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