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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 116 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: bear · bore · row · perch · dip · squash · content · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — the amount
  5. row — to paddle
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. content — happy
  13. row — a line
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to sink

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