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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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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: cold · saw · lash · bear · net · pass · kick · bore

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. net — in sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cold — an illness
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — to lash out
  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