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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mate — to breed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — a friend
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mine — an explosive

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