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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 help me carry this box?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to click
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rock — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. season — of the year

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