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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ball — a great time
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — happening now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rock — a stone
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a round shape
  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