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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: object · snap · hide · pound · ruler · rest · game · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. snap — to click
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rest — a break
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — to protest
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. game — a match
  21. bat — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pound — to hit hard

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