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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 · bore · content · rest · vault · kid · dip · tube

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. tube — the underground
  3. kid — child
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — happy
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. content — the amount
  19. dip — to sink
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bore — to drill
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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