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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — child
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — to tease
  23. trunk — of a car
  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