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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: bore · mark · band · ruler · lie · cabinet · snap · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to click
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. club — a group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mark — a grade
  17. club — for golf
  18. band — a music group
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a ring
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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