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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ball — a dance
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. object — an aim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. roll — a list
  16. current — electric
  17. object — to protest
  18. current — happening now
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rule — a law
  21. current — of water
  22. rule — government
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a great time

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