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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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. spell — a short time
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — to drill
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to click
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — a tin

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