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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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468
Word bank
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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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