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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: bowl · wound · wave · drill · pass · ruler · snap · arm

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. drill — army training
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to click
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — a permit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wave — of the sea

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