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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. firm — steady
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. firm — a company
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — music
  18. hand — help
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hand — in cards
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — decided

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