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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. snap — to click
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spell — magic
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cue — a signal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cue — for pool

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