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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. craft — boats
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cold — an illness
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to click
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. cold — not warm

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