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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. last — final
  3. firm — a company
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — a gift
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — a country
  10. last — to go on
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — finally
  14. present — there
  15. mug — a face
  16. firm — decided
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — steady
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. land — to come down
  22. snap — to click
  23. land — ground
  24. present — the time now

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