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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — a gift
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. present — there
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — the time now
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bore — to tire
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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