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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. track — a song
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bore — to drill
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. kid — to tease
  21. net — in sport
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  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