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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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 — to lash out
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — to fit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — clothes
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. face — to confront
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stem — of a plant
  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