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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rash — a series
  3. kid — to tease
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mug — a face
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. row — a line
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mug — a cup

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