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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. present — a gift
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fall — the season
  10. present — there
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — a series
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

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