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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rest — a break
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to click
  9. bass — the fish
  10. roll — a list
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. deal — to handle
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bass — low music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bore — to drill
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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