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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kid — child
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — rain
  14. mate — a friend
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cap — a lid
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — before a funeral

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