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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rash — a series
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rash — hasty
  10. snap — to click
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. present — the time now
  17. cell — a phone
  18. present — there
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. present — a gift
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cell — in biology
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — on the skin

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