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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — for sport
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. court — of a king
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. court — of law
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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