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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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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: clip · jam · temple · snap · hide · rule · bank · bore

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to click
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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