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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — a song
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — for sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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