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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. toast — bread
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. snap — to click
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — a line
  19. rush — hurry
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. foot — a measure
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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