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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pop — soda
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — to visit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to tire
  10. snap — to click
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. net — after costs
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — music

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