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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — farmland
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — a division
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a face
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hide — to keep secret

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