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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: lash · dip · mouse · bore · wound · tear · chest · pitch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. chest — of your body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chest — a box
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mouse — for a computer

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