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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rest — a break
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. current — of water
  18. row — to paddle
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — a line
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. current — electric

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