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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — in sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. land — a country
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. land — ground
  19. spell — magic
  20. firm — decided
  21. snap — to click
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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