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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tube — the underground
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — a series
  8. track — a song
  9. snap — to click
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. root — of a word
  12. track — a path
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. root — of a plant
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mug — a face
  21. tube — a container
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bore — to drill
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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