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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. can — to be able to
  7. file — a line of people
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. file — a document
  15. bore — to drill
  16. land — ground
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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