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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
468
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 · rash · kick · tear · dip · cue · fan · ball

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rash — a series
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — to sink
  24. kick — a thrill

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