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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. content — happy
  11. kid — child
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hand — help
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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