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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: bore · suit · snap · spring · ground · pass · last · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — final
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ground — a position
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — to go on
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to click
  24. bore — to drill

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