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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — of water
  5. rash — a series
  6. pit — a hole
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rock — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pit — in a race

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