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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pop — soda
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pop — music

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