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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. foot — a measure
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rush — hurry

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