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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — to drill
  3. charge — in control
  4. bore — to tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — a price
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — electricity
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — the bottom

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