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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. roll — a list
  7. mate — a partner
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — to breed
  15. roll — a cake
  16. firm — a company
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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