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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — wild animals
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — to rob
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a cup

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