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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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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — letters
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — magic
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rock — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to click
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — child
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rock — to move gently

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