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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. arm — a part of something

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