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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. firm — steady
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — to keep track
  8. deal — to handle
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — decided
  18. track — a path
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. track — a song
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. saw — the tool

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