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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. band — a music group
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mine — for digging
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bound — obliged
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cell — in biology

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