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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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rest — a break
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — army training
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bank — for money
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — to drill

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