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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — in sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bore — to drill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — child
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — after costs
  17. kid — to tease
  18. net — for catching
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bound — tied together

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