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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 124 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ground — a position
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ground — the earth
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fine — all right
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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