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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rest — a break
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — all right
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pit — a hole
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rest — what's left
  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