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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — there
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break

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