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

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bore — to tire
  9. snap — to click
  10. track — a song
  11. can — a tin
  12. suit — clothes
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a path
  15. season — in sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. season — of the year
  18. can — to be able to

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