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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — a song
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — letters
  7. capital — a city
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. capital — money
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bore — to tire

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