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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. sharp — clever
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. toast — bread
  7. pass — a permit
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — a trace
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. roll — a list
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mark — a grade
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ruler — for measuring

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