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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — a container
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — the tool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — help
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. snap — to click

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