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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — army training
  21. tear — to rip
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — with your hand

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