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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. object — to protest
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bore — to drill
  5. key — in music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. object — a thing
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. key — the most important part
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to click
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. track — to keep track

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