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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — final
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — finally
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mate — a friend
  19. net — after costs
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. net — in sport
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — a sports field

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