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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — hurry
  7. firm — steady
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spring — of water
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to tire
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. firm — a company
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. firm — decided

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