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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kid — child
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. snap — to click
  11. fine — all right
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ground — the earth
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ground — a position
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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