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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wake — a trail
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spell — a short time
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. snap — to click
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. branch — a division
  24. hand — in cards

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