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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hand — help
  7. pound — a weight
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bore — to drill
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. season — of the year
  24. tube — a container

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