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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: roll · snap · bore · toast · lean · tear · jam · mate

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — to rip
  7. roll — a cake
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. snap — to click
  19. lean — to bend
  20. roll — a list
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — to breed

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