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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · snap · mine · foot · rock · fall

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. snap — to click
  13. mine — for digging
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fall — the season
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. foot — a measure

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