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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. file — a line of people
  17. season — of the year
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — a partner
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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