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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — in cards
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — help
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. coach — a trainer

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