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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — in a race
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bore — to drill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. scale — in music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lie — to recline

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