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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — a trail
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. craft — boats
  17. race — the arms race
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bore — to drill
  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