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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. staff — a stick
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. roll — a list
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bore — to drill

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