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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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. land — to come down
  3. lean — thin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — a country
  10. saw — the tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — ground
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. kid — child
  18. content — happy

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