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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. band — a ring
  5. charge — a price
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. charge — in control
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — electricity
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bark — to shout
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a music group
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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