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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — to paddle
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. band — a ring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. face — to confront
  9. snap — to click
  10. band — a music group
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bat — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. club — a group
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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