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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: saw · pit · game · mouse · snap · leaves · ruler · cue

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cue — a signal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pit — a hole
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a match

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