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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. file — a tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — to wash
  10. kid — to tease
  11. file — a document
  12. ground — a position
  13. shower — rain
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ground — the earth
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ground — crushed

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