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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — soda
  5. firm — steady
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to click
  8. spring — the season
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. pit — a hole
  15. face — to confront
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spring — of water
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — a company
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — in a computer

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