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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — to get on
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cap — of ice
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a hat
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a face
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a committee
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. squash — the sport
  24. toast — bread

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