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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: cap · lash · hide · arm · pitch · coach · dip · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to sink
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cap — a lid
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kid — child
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cap — a hat
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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