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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — magic
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rush — hurry
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. suit — clothes
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a tool
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. file — a line of people
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a document

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