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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bound — obliged
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — certain
  6. rule — a law
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rule — government
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. snap — to click
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bear — the animal

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