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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bore — to drill
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pop — to visit
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pop — soda
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pop — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. file — a tool

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