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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. firm — decided
  3. band — a music group
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. staff — employees
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. spell — letters
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pound — a weight
  19. band — a ring
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. firm — steady
  24. dip — to sink

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