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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — a song
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rest — a break
  12. craft — boats
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bat — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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