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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — of the year
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. net — in sport
  12. bore — to tire
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. season — in sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitch — completely
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — employees
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bore — to drill

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