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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. drill — a practice
  3. face — part of the head
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. face — to confront
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. firm — a company
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. firm — steady
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — tied together
  17. face — to point toward
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — certain
  24. drill — army training

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