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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · pit · hide · fan · present · lash · squash · roll

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — a gift
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pit — a hole
  19. roll — a list
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — of ice
  24. present — there

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