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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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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: snap · stick · dip · mug · scale · file · firm · object

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. object — a thing
  6. firm — decided
  7. scale — size or range
  8. snap — to click
  9. file — a document
  10. object — an aim
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mug — to rob
  15. dip — to sink
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — a company
  18. object — to protest
  19. firm — steady
  20. file — a tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — a face
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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