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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wake — a trail
  13. scale — size or range
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — in music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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