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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. content — happy
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mate — a partner
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mark — a grade

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