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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cap — of ice
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — soda
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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