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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. hide — animal skin

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