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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. cell — a phone
  4. staff — a stick
  5. date — the fruit
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — decided
  11. lie — to recline
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — a company
  21. deal — to handle
  22. staff — employees
  23. cell — in biology
  24. staff — employees

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