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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. game — a match
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — letters
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — magic
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bore — to drill

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