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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: jam · fan · pass · tear · dip · bore · snap · pop

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pop — to visit
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pass — a permit
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. snap — to click
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  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