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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · wake · club · mouse · lie · lash · bore · key

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. key — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kid — child
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lie — an untruth

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