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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. kid — to tease
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tear — to rip
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — boats
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — child
  20. pit — a hole
  21. swing — to play on
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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