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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bat — the animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. snap — to click
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — there
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. present — a gift
  22. rest — a break
  23. present — the time now
  24. ruler — for measuring

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