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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ball — a great time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a dance
  10. roll — a list
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. club — a group
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. club — for golf
  17. current — of water
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. current — electric
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — to tire

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