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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. face — part of the head
  5. snap — to click
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — a company
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. face — to confront
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — for digging
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. firm — decided
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — to point toward
  20. toast — bread
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pop — music
  23. firm — steady
  24. cap — of ice

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