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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. hand — help
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fork — in a road
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hand — in cards
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pass — to succeed

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