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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 120 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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chip — for betting
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fall — the season
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lean — thin

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