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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: game · ruler · cue · stick · branch · rush · spell · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — a division
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cue — for pool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. cue — a signal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — letters
  24. snap — to click

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