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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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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: bulb · mine · snap · stand · firm · pit · charge · fall

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — for digging
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pit — a hole
  19. charge — in control
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to click
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fall — the season

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