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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: lean · snap · mate · present · ruler · lie · chest · hand

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to click
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hand — help
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lie — to recline
  12. present — the time now
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — a gift
  16. hand — in cards
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. present — there
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chest — a box
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to rest against

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