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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. race — a contest
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — a law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. race — the arms race
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rock — to move gently

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