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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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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 · stick · arm · hide · season · mouse · lash · track

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. season — of the year
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a song
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — to keep track
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. track — a path
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cap — a lid

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