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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
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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: can · wound · fan · fine · snap · firm · root · mine

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. firm — a company
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — a tin
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — the cause
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wound — an injury
  21. root — of a word
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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