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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — a position
  8. fall — the season
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ground — crushed

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