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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — government
  15. pop — to visit
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bore — to drill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rule — a law
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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