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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. root — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. land — a country
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — ground
  11. root — the cause
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — to tire
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a friend

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