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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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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: rest · mark · ruler · pop · rash · snap · mug · straw

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mug — a face
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to click
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pop — soda
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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