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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bat — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cell — a phone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — a law
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rule — government
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rule — to rule out

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