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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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