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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — a face
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. root — the cause
  9. bore — to drill
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kid — child
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mug — a cup
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — a friend
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kid — to tease

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