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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bore — to drill
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — a container
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wake — a trail
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. charge — in control

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