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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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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: mark · bore · staff · field · kid · arm · lash · saw

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bore — to tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. saw — the tool
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. staff — employees

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