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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. shower — to wash
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. shower — rain
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bore — to drill
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. snap — to click
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — to come from

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