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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: mouse · dip · swing · vault · cap · lash · rock · kick

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kick — in football
  11. swing — music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. swing — to play on
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rock — a stone

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