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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ground — a position
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — to drill

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