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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. snap — to click
  6. rock — a stone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. shower — rain
  15. rock — music
  16. net — after costs
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. net — in sport

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