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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rock — a stone
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hand — help
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — army training
  24. hand — in cards

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