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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fall — the season
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cold — an illness
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cue — a signal
  22. snap — to click
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cold — not warm

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