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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 have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. firm — decided
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fine — all right
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. firm — steady

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