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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spell — letters
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. spell — magic
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitch — completely
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tear — from crying

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