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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. current — electric
  3. hand — help
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. firm — decided
  7. lean — to bend
  8. current — happening now
  9. pit — a hole
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. firm — steady
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. firm — a company
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. current — of water

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