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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: wake · fan · bulb · firm · pit · arm · track · snap

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. track — a path
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. track — a song
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — a company
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to click

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