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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 116 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: racket · branch · cap · kid · lash · snap · can · dip

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kid — child
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cap — of ice
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cap — a hat

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