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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. root — the cause
  17. hand — in cards
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. suit — in cards
  21. root — of a word
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bore — to drill
  24. root — of a plant

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