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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. snap — to click
  7. key — in music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. swing — to play on
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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