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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · deal · cap · pit · bear · lash · dip · charge

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — a price
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spring — the season
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pit — in a race
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. charge — in control
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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