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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — the season
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spring — of water
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lash — to lash out

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