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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. drill — army training
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mark — a trace
  15. drill — the tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — a grade
  21. object — an aim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mark — to pay attention

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