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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cap — a hat
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. band — a ring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — in football
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a music group
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rush — to hurry

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