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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cue — a hint
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tear — from crying
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tear — to rip
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tear — from crying

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