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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — of water
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — a coil
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. arm — part of the body

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