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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to click
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chair — a leader
  15. file — a line of people
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chair — a professorship

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