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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. present — there
  13. content — happy
  14. present — a gift
  15. rash — hasty
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to click
  19. present — the time now
  20. content — the amount
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stand — for spectators

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