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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. snap — to click
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. club — a group
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — all right
  17. wake — a trail
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — for measuring

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