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

Word bank: snap · tear · suit · staff · cabinet · pound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. tear — from crying
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying

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