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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fall — the season
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lash — to lash out

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