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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bass — low music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — a group
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. mate — a partner
  20. snap — to click
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ruler — for measuring

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