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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bore — to drill
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — clever
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. root — the cause
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — a country
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bore — to tire
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ground — crushed

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