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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — the earth
  5. land — to come down
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — to tire
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to click
  16. bore — to drill
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ground — crushed
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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