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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · mug · wake · bowl · hand · snap · squash · trunk

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. firm — decided
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mug — a face
  8. squash — the sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. firm — steady
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — a company
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hand — help
  20. wake — a trail
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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