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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: straw · kid · bore · wake · suit · snap · hand · roll

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. suit — in cards
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hand — in cards
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wake — a trail
  13. suit — clothes
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — child
  20. suit — to fit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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