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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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 snap out of it
  2. bore — to drill
  3. club — a group
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. suit — clothes
  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