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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. last — final
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. last — to go on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — finally
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. craft — a skill
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — boats
  24. bore — gave birth

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