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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. roll — a cake
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a cup
  10. key — for a lock
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mug — a face
  14. key — in music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. roll — a list
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. arm — a part of something
  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