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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. band — a music group
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. band — a ring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bark — to shout
  23. swing — music
  24. present — there

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