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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: squash · lash · mark · mine · face · bat · tear · bore

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. bore — to tire
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. face — to confront
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — the sport
  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