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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
468
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: hand · snap · roll · club · wave · rush · ruler · scale

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. snap — to click
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. hand — in cards
  9. club — a group
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rush — hurry
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — in music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. roll — a list
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. club — for golf
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hand — help

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