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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: ruler · stand · mouse · snap · kick · lie · leaves · hand

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hand — help
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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