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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spring — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lean — thin
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — of water
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to click
  18. charge — a price
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. charge — in control
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bank — of a river
  24. charge — electricity

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