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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.

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: ruler · nail · wake · pitcher · snap · trunk · date · mouse

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. date — the fruit
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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