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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cap — of ice
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — hurry

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