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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bass — low music
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rest — a break
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. nail — on a finger

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