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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mug — a face
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. swing — in golf
  18. game — a match

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