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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kick — in football
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. file — a document
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. file — a tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — of ice

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