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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a list
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stock — goods
  22. mug — a cup
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spell — magic

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