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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: content · snap · toast · trunk · bat · ruler · roll · nail

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. toast — bread
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to click
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. content — happy
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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