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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — child
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to drill

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