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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bore — to tire
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rule — a law
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cold — an illness
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lash — to lash out

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