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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to click
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chair — a leader
  14. object — to protest
  15. lean — thin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — a thing
  19. lean — to bend
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. nail — for a hammer

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