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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — of water
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spring — a coil
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. scale — in music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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