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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. root — of a word
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. root — of a plant
  24. scale — size or range

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