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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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 — a company
  3. track — to keep track
  4. net — after costs
  5. firm — steady
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to click
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. track — a song
  20. firm — decided
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — for catching
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bulb — of a plant

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