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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mine — for digging
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — a face
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. suit — clothes
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. roll — a cake

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