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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. drill — a practice
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to click
  9. drill — army training
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ball — a dance
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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