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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ground — a position
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to click
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mark — a trace
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — of a river
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — a trail
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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