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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — certain
  4. last — final
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — of a word
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bound — obliged
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. last — to go on
  24. date — on the calendar

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