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

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — a path
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rock — music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. snap — to click
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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