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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bore — to drill
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. clip — a video
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. clip — for paper
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kid — to tease
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kid — child
  24. roll — a list

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