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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bound — certain
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pop — soda
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chest — a box
  24. pop — music

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