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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — a path
  3. bore — to drill
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rule — government
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — a song
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rule — a law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ball — a great time

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