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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: tube · last · present · roll · snap · firm · saw · bulb

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — decided
  4. tube — the underground
  5. firm — a company
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — there
  9. saw — the tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. roll — a list
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — the time now

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