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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. snap — to click
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stock — shares
  5. dip — to sink
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stock — goods
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. face — to confront
  19. kid — child
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kick — a thrill

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