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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. snap — to click
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — the underground
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. tube — a container
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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