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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hand — help
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. coach — a trainer

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