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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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. firm — steady
  3. content — the amount
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — a song
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to click
  9. roll — a list
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. roll — a cake
  23. firm — decided
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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