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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.

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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: dip · cap · wake · snap · lie · kick · sharp · mate

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kick — in football
  3. wake — a trail
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lie — to recline
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cap — a lid
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to sink
  24. snap — to click

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