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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.

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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cap — a hat
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a document
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a trace
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. tube — a container
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cap — a lid

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