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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — a permit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a word
  5. swing — music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. row — to paddle
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — the cause
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a music group
  19. root — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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