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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. snap — to click
  5. suit — to fit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. swing — to play on
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. swing — in golf
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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