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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. land — a country
  5. track — a path
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. track — to keep track
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — a song
  11. land — to come down
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chair — a leader
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. plane — a tool
  23. land — ground
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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