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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · lash · cold · can · bay · bore

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — to visit
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pop — music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bay — a horse colour

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