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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. land — ground
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — a country
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. land — to come down
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — for digging
  17. snap — to click
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — a position

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