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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. present — there
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — a gift
  16. tube — a container
  17. present — the time now
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bore — to tire

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