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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to click
  5. can — to be able to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. drill — army training
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — the fish
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rule — government
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — low music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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