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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. club — for golf
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to drill
  5. land — a country
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. land — ground
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to click
  17. club — a group
  18. track — a path
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — to tire
  24. land — to come down

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