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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · kick · mug · hide · current · bore · present · snap

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mug — a face
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — a gift
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. file — a document
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kick — in football
  15. bore — to drill
  16. current — of water
  17. present — there
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bore — to tire
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — electric
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — the time now

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