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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. can — to be able to
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — shares
  7. cold — an illness
  8. last — to go on
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kick — in football
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. last — finally
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bore — to drill
  22. last — final
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stock — goods

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