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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pit — a hole
  16. band — a ring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. net — after costs
  20. key — in music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to tire

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