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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. file — a line of people
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. snap — to click
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. file — a document

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