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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 116 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: can · court · mark · band · ruler · mate · snap · hide

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — for sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a trace
  6. court — of a king
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a ring
  9. court — of law
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. band — a music group
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mate — to breed

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