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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: cell · lash · mouse · mark · trunk · bore · saw · kid

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kid — to tease
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cell — in a prison

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