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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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. ground — crushed
  3. lean — to bend
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. snap — to click
  8. track — a path
  9. suit — clothes
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ground — a position
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a lid
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — thin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. shower — rain
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cap — a hat

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