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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. date — on the calendar
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — a signal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — for digging
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — steady
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. firm — a company
  19. lean — to bend
  20. firm — decided
  21. lean — thin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to click

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