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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 116 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: rush · snap · rock · last · bore · pitcher · capital · fine

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. capital — money
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — hurry
  15. last — final
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rock — music
  18. last — finally
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. capital — a city
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. last — to go on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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