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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: snap · chest · face · mug · bore · drill · jam · present

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chest — a box
  5. mug — to rob
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. present — a gift
  15. face — part of the head
  16. present — there
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. present — the time now
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mug — a face
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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