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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kid — child
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pop — soda
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — on your feet

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