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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — a break
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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