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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. scale — in music
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cap — a hat

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