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

Word bank: chip · swing · lash · track · bay · kid · kick · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chip — for betting
  14. kid — child
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kick — in football
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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