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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — the amount
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — thin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rush — hurry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rash — a series
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. content — happy
  24. rush — to hurry

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