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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — a subject
  15. kick — in football
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spell — magic
  24. bore — gave birth

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