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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. game — a match
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — finally
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — final
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — a series
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — to go on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to click
  24. bank — of a river

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