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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
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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: chair · sharp · can · rock · drill · cue · snap · chest

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. drill — army training
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — a box
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chair — a leader
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — music
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — a stone
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — a practice
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chest — of your body
  24. snap — to click

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