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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 ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — child
  6. rash — a series
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. key — in music

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