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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. band — a ring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a music group
  19. drill — army training
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chip — to eat

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