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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spring — the season
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bound — certain
  9. spring — of water
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pit — a hole
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bass — low music
  15. file — a document
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. current — of water
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bore — to tire
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spring — a coil

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