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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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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: season · hand · mug · lash · cabinet · nail · kid · bore

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hand — help
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kid — to tease
  9. hand — in cards
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kid — child
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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