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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rule — government
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stand — to bear
  19. charge — in control
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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