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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — in control
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a song
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — to sink
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. track — a path
  16. cap — a lid
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. kid — child

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