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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bore — to drill
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. land — a country
  6. bat — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bore — to tire
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. race — the arms race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. race — a contest

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