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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 120 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: chest · lash · land · bore · rock · hide · rest · arm

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — a country
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. land — ground
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — to come down
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — a break
  16. rock — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — a box
  24. arm — part of the body

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