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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: hide · cap · fall · snap · bay · arm · object · ruler

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. object — to protest
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. object — a thing
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fall — the season
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. object — an aim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fall — to drop

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