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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — to drill
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stock — goods
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kid — child
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kid — to tease

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