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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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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: mate · object · roll · bulb · ruler · mouse · mug · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. roll — a cake
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. roll — a list
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. object — to protest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mug — a face
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

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