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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. scale — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bore — to tire
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rest — a break
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bore — to drill

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