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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — a series
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. land — ground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. land — to come down
  18. snap — to click
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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