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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — money
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bore — to tire
  10. capital — a city
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rush — hurry
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bark — of a tree

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