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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pitch — completely
  6. squash — to crush
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. squash — the sport
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to click
  16. lie — to recline
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — a monarch

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