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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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. kick — in football
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — to go on
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to click
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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