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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. content — happy
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kid — child
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kid — to tease
  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