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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rule — a law
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. key — in music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. dip — to sink
  13. drill — army training
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — bread
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. drill — a practice
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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