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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mug — a cup
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — low music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — in football
  18. bore — to tire
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. snap — to click

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