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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · ruler · lie · snap · chip · pit · kick · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. snap — to click
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kick — in football
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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