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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — a country
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — ground
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — to come down
  24. season — of the year

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