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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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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hand — help
  3. key — for a lock
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — the most important part
  12. season — in sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. key — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — of the year
  17. hand — in cards
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ball — a great time
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ruler — a monarch

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