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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bound — certain
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — a gift
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. present — there
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. present — the time now
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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