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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — help
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — a cake
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. object — a thing
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. snap — to click
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ball — a great time
  21. object — an aim
  22. roll — a list
  23. lean — thin
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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