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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — a country
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — to come down
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — ground

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