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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mug — a face
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mug — a cup
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. band — a music group
  17. last — final
  18. band — a ring
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a list
  23. last — finally
  24. hand — help

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