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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. march — music
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — in cards
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. snap — to click

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