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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. land — ground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. swing — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. snap — to click
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — letters
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pop — to visit
  21. land — to come down
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — a country

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