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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: stick · snap · cold · ruler · chip · rock · march · foot

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — not warm
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. snap — to click
  11. cold — an illness
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — a measure
  24. march — music

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