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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: saw · firm · suit · chest · pop · snap · chip · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. snap — to click
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pop — to visit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. firm — decided
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. firm — steady
  16. chip — for betting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mug — to rob
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pop — soda
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chest — a box
  24. chip — in a computer

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