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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — a position
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — boats
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. drill — army training
  11. bore — to drill
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pop — soda
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pop — to visit
  22. club — for dancing
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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