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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — clothes
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — a match
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. suit — to fit
  18. track — a song
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — to keep track
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bore — to tire
  24. track — a path

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