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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — for dancing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spring — a coil
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. club — a group
  19. object — to protest
  20. roll — a list
  21. rash — a series
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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