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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — the earth
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. hand — help
  24. bear — the animal

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