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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to click
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fall — the season
  13. pop — soda
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pop — music
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bear — to put up with

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