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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: snap · bore · dip · lash · wind · pop · jam · kid

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pop — soda
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kid — child
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — to tire
  13. snap — to click
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pop — music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wind — moving air

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