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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. drill — army training
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — magic
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — letters
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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