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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to drill
  13. capital — money
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hand — help
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. hand — in cards
  24. capital — a city

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