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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: snap · dip · straw · can · mark · squash · patient · rule

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. mark — a grade
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. squash — to crush
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — a trace
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — to be able to
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rule — to rule out

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