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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. charge — in control
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — a price
  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