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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — to drill
  5. root — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. spell — letters
  14. root — the cause
  15. cue — a hint
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spell — magic
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. craft — boats
  24. root — of a word

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