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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.

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: net · wound · mine · lash · chest · mouse · bore · ground

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chest — a box
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — after costs
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. net — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. net — for catching
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ground — a position
  24. mine — for digging

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