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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. face — to confront
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — in control
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — a price
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lean — thin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lash — to lash 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