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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. perch — the fish
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pop — music
  6. snap — to click
  7. swing — music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. date — the fruit
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bore — to drill

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