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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — in football
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wave — of the sea

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