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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: bore · snap · track · mug · bat · object · date · cell

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mug — to rob
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mug — a face
  8. snap — to click
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. object — to protest
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. object — an aim
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — to keep track
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bore — to tire
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. object — a thing

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