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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to click
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lean — thin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. current — of water
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — electric
  15. ground — a position
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mug — a face
  24. hide — to keep secret

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