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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kick — in football
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cap — a hat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tube — a container
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to click

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