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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. file — a document
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — hasty
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. file — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rash — a series
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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