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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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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: drill · suit · last · bear · stick · sharp · snap · ruler

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. snap — to click
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. drill — army training
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. drill — a practice
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — finally
  23. sharp — clever
  24. last — final

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