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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — a cup
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — rain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pit — a hole
  14. key — the most important part
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — in music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bore — to tire

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