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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. snap — to click
  3. net — in sport
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. net — for catching
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — clever
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — to drill
  15. object — a thing
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. net — after costs
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. object — to protest

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