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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. track — a path
  8. club — for golf
  9. race — the arms race
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — to drill
  13. race — a contest
  14. club — for dancing
  15. snap — to click
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. track — a song
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bore — to tire
  21. club — a group
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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