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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · saw · bore · deal · snap · date · cap · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — a hat
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — of ice
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to click
  24. deal — a big deal

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