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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a document
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — a company
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. suit — to fit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — a measure
  12. file — a tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. kick — in football
  18. charge — a price
  19. firm — steady
  20. suit — in cards
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — in control

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