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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 120 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: kid · cold · lash · bore · charge · pop · foot · firm

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bore — to drill
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pop — to visit
  15. firm — steady
  16. pop — soda
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. charge — in control
  21. cold — not warm
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — music

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