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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — of a river
  6. field — a subject
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cold — an illness
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. field — farmland
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. field — for sport

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