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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: rash · snap · ruler · firm · kid · roll · chest · pound

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to click
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. roll — a list
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — decided
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pound — a weight
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rash — a series
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — a company
  24. chest — of your body

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