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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — for pool
  4. kid — child
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — to fit
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — to tease
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — in cards
  12. content — happy
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spell — magic
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. cue — a signal
  23. band — a ring
  24. suit — clothes

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