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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chip — for betting
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. tear — from crying
  8. snap — to click
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — to bend
  11. field — a subject
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — hurry
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — farmland
  23. firm — a company
  24. chip — to eat

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