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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — help
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — thin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hand — in cards
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the vegetable

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