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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — after costs
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. staff — employees
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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