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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. snap — to click
  3. object — an aim
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rule — government
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. sharp — exactly
  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