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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 · fine · club · dip · toast · chest · rest

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. club — a group
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fine — all right
  5. toast — bread
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rest — a break
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chest — a box
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cap — of ice

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