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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · stick · ground · track · lash · staff · drill · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — army training
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. staff — a stick
  15. drill — a practice
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ground — the earth
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. track — a song
  23. drill — the tool
  24. track — a path

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