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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. game — a match
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — in sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bore — to drill
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. game — wild animals
  23. season — of the year
  24. bore — to tire

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