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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bore — to drill
  5. object — a thing
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — magic
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. land — a country
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — to come down
  15. object — an aim
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a ring
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — gave birth

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