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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to confront
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — of water
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — the season
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bank — for money

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