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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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Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pop — music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pop — soda
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — a break
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — on a finger

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