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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 120 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: snap · net · pop · firm · hide · swing · file · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. net — for catching
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. file — a document
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. pop — soda
  16. snap — to click
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — music
  19. net — in sport
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pop — music

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