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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 · craft · bore · kid · pound · pit · coach · bay

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kid — child
  7. bore — to tire
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. craft — boats
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pound — to hit hard

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