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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. land — to come down
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — a phone
  14. land — a country
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. can — to be able to

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