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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — an aim
  4. bore — to tire
  5. object — to protest
  6. field — for sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. capital — a city
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. capital — money
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — a subject
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. season — in sport
  18. bore — to drill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — a thing
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — of the year

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