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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 124 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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