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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — of a word
  16. craft — a skill
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. root — the cause
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. root — of a plant
  24. press — newspapers

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