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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mug · bore · staff · kid · lash · scale · mine · calf

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. staff — employees
  4. mug — a cup
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kid — child
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mug — a face
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. staff — a stick
  24. scale — for weighing

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