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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 120 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: chest · rock · ruler · snap · mouse · pass · pitcher · cabinet

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chest — a box
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — a permit
  23. snap — to click
  24. cabinet — ministers

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