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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: bore · ruler · mouse · wind · snap · toast · court · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — to tire
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. court — of a king
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. toast — bread
  20. bore — to drill
  21. court — for sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wind — moving air

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