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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — 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