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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 120 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: can · mine · tube · snap · rash · key · bore · sharp

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rash — a series
  5. sharp — clever
  6. snap — to click
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rash — hasty
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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