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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bass — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — low music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bear — to put up with

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