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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hand — help
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. firm — a company
  15. content — the amount
  16. firm — steady
  17. object — a thing
  18. fine — high quality
  19. object — to protest
  20. fine — all right
  21. firm — decided
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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