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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — a song
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — steady
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. firm — decided
  21. snap — to click
  22. tear — from crying
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tear — from crying

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