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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. key — for a lock
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. toast — bread
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cell — in biology
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cell — a phone
  24. toast — the most admired

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