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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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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: bulb · foot · mark · snap · swing · content · last · saw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. content — the amount
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. mark — a trace
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mark — a grade
  14. snap — to click
  15. swing — in golf
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mark — to pay attention

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