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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chest — a box
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — a committee
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. board — to get on
  14. mug — a cup
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kid — child
  17. mug — a face
  18. chest — of your body
  19. present — the time now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kid — to tease

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