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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cap — a hat
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cap — of ice
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. season — of the year
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mug — a face
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cap — a lid
  19. saw — the tool
  20. foot — a measure
  21. season — in sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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