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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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. arm — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. snap — to click
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lean — thin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — for sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. craft — boats
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lean — to bend
  21. court — of law
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. firm — decided
  24. court — of a king

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