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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — army training
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — to drill
  8. snap — to click
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — a tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mug — a face
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — to push
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. press — newspapers

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