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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spring — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rule — a law
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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