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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. firm — steady
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bore — to drill
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. press — to push
  18. bore — to tire
  19. press — a publisher
  20. firm — a company
  21. wake — a trail
  22. club — a group
  23. firm — decided
  24. lash — an eyelash

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