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

Word bank: mate · lash · pit · fall · wake · kid · bore · safe

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — a friend

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