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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — a contest
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — shares
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. race — humankind
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — the sport

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