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

Word bank: stick · charge · straw · bowl · snap · pop · firm · safe

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. snap — to click
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — soda
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — electricity
  13. firm — decided
  14. charge — a price
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pop — music
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — to roll

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