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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to tire
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. squash — to crush
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  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