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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. roll — a cake
  13. snap — to click
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — to drill
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — a list
  19. rock — music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kid — child

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