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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — for catching
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. net — in sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — an eyelash

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