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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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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 · file · lash · wound · mouse · kick · content · stand

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. file — a document
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kick — in football
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kid — to tease
  18. content — happy
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kid — child
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. file — a tool

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