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

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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. bound — tied together
  3. mug — a face
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. snap — to click
  12. row — a line
  13. object — an aim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. object — to protest
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mug — a cup

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