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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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468
Word bank
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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: wave · net · kick · rush · ruler · bulb · snap · game

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kick — in football
  13. game — a match
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — wild animals
  24. kick — with a leg

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