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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — a series
  4. snap — to click
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rash — hasty
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cue — a hint

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