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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. firm — decided
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

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