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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — a friend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. snap — to click
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. squash — the sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mate — to breed
  18. shower — rain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. squash — to crush
  23. arm — a part of something
  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