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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — the cause
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. lean — thin
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — to drill

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