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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ground — crushed
  7. snap — to click
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — decided
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — steady
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — a position
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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