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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. kick — in football
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kid — child
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fork — in a road
  11. content — the amount
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wake — a trail
  18. content — happy
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. kick — a thrill

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