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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. field — farmland
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lean — thin
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to tire
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. field — a subject
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pass — a permit

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