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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: snap · mark · suit · press · row · bore · spell · bat

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. suit — in cards
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — magic
  7. press — newspapers
  8. row — a line
  9. bore — to drill
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — letters
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spell — a short time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. snap — to click
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. suit — clothes
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mark — a trace
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. press — to push
  24. bore — to tire

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