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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. land — to come down
  13. fall — the season
  14. craft — a skill
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. craft — boats

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