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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. kid — child
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — happy
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. content — the amount
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kid — to tease
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — crushed
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. racket — for tennis

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