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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: ruler · mate · cold · object · club · pass · snap · content

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. snap — to click
  8. object — a thing
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. content — happy
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. club — a group
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. club — for golf
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cold — not warm
  23. content — the amount
  24. cold — an illness

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