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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bore — to drill
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. net — after costs
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. degree — temperature
  17. drill — army training
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — electricity
  21. net — for catching
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bore — to tire
  24. charge — in control

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