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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — to drill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — a price
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — electricity
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wound — an injury
  17. charge — in control
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — to tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — gave birth

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