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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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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: bore · stick · kid · swing · chip · spring · ground · lash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kid — child
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spring — the season
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ground — a position
  19. swing — music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — gave birth

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