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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: kid · bear · dip · lash · racket · cap · stem · drill

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cap — of ice
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — child
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kid — to tease
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — army training
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. racket — for tennis

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