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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 124 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. row — to paddle
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. row — a line
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tear — from crying
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. tear — from crying

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