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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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Word bank
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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: current · bore · snap · hand · content · lean · date · pound

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. current — electric
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bore — to tire
  13. content — the amount
  14. pound — a weight
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — of water
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — happening now
  19. content — happy
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bore — to drill
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hand — help

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