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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. row — a line
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bear — the animal

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