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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. shower — rain
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. land — to come down
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — ground
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. land — a country
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. snap — to click

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