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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. snap — to click
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pass — a permit

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