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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: cabinet · mouse · trunk · rock · kid · lash · content · ruler

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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