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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pop — soda
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. club — for golf
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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