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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — rain
  6. mug — a face
  7. snap — to click
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — of water
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a cup
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spring — the season
  21. rest — a break
  22. bore — to drill
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bore — to tire

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