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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for dancing
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bore — to drill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to click
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — a group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — a break

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