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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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