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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: snap · kid · straw · face · toast · firm · ruler · hand

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. firm — decided
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — in cards
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. snap — to click
  23. hand — help
  24. toast — bread

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