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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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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 · saw · fan · snap · wake · mine · mug · roll

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — a trail
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. firm — decided
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. firm — steady
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. roll — a list
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. firm — a company
  22. snap — to click
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mine — for digging

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