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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. season — of the year
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hand — help
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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