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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kick — in football
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. last — finally
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — final
  20. shower — rain
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — to go on

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