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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: mine · fine · arm · firm · mug · saw · snap · club

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. firm — steady
  7. mug — to rob
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. club — for dancing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. firm — a company
  20. snap — to click
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. firm — decided
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. club — a group

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