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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. press — to push
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hand — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. row — a line
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. snap — to click
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rule — government
  20. press — a publisher
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — help

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