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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bass — the fish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. shower — rain
  18. bass — low music
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. snap — to click

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