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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mug — a cup
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. roll — a cake
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mug — a face
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — a list
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. scale — in music

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