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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rest — a break
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — to tire

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