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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ground — the earth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. tube — a container
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — goods
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kid — child
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  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