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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — thin
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a match
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. sharp — clever
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bat — the animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. firm — decided
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. firm — a company
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — to be able to
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lean — to bend
  24. snap — to click

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