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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 120 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chest — a box
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — of the year
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — help
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — in sport
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — a lid
  20. staff — employees
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. fork — a garden tool

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