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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. dip — to dunk

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