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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. row — to paddle
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. kick — in football
  11. row — a line
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — the time now
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — a publisher
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. press — newspapers
  23. present — there
  24. kick — a thrill

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