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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. roll — a cake
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. roll — a list
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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