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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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. ruler — for measuring
  3. charge — in control
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — to rip
  18. charge — a price
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — in sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. net — for catching

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