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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hand — in cards
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — music
  12. rock — music
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — to tire
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pop — soda
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — a series
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. foot — a measure
  23. snap — to click
  24. foot — part of the body

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