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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bore — to drill
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. toast — bread
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wake — before a funeral

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