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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: sharp · pound · mark · cap · suit · chest · lash · cold

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chest — of your body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — exactly

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