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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: season · ruler · bass · snap · mug · stick · mate · perch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — in sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — a face
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to click
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the fish
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mug — a cup

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