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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mug — a face
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. snap — to click
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. march — the month

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