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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. suit — clothes
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to click
  8. swing — to play on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — to recline
  15. swing — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — final
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — of ice
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. swing — in golf

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