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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 · mate · wound · ruler · stock · rash · drill · pound

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stock — shares
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — hasty
  12. drill — army training
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — goods
  20. snap — to click
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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