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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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. can — to be able to
  3. file — a tool
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — thin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to click
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a document
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. present — there
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — to bend
  24. staff — employees

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