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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stock — shares
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. game — a match
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — to tire
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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