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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — a box
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to click
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — of your body

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