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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to click
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chair — a leader
  10. scale — in music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — tied together
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — for weighing

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