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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bore — to tire
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a line
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chest — a box
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. suit — to fit

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