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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a line
  4. rest — a break
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — a song
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wound — an injury
  22. track — a path
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rest — what's left

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