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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ball — a great time
  3. race — a contest
  4. ball — a dance
  5. race — the arms race
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. race — humankind
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bound — obliged
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bound — certain
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bound — tied together
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. saw — the tool

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