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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to click
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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