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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 · fork · chair · kid · bear · last · dip · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — finally
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — to go on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. last — final
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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