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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. content — happy
  6. wind — moving air
  7. land — ground
  8. snap — to click
  9. content — the amount
  10. kick — in football
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — a group
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — a country
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — for golf
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mate — to breed

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