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

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pop — to visit
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — soda
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pop — music
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — to tire
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick

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