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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. present — the time now
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — a position
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — there
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ground — the earth
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — a company
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. present — a gift
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ground — crushed
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — steady

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