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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wound — an injury
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  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