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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. snap — to click
  3. tube — the underground
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. firm — decided
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — a company
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tube — a container
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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