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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bass — low music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — a break
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to click
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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