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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.

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: wound · snap · net · saw · firm · drill · mug · stick

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — army training
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. firm — decided
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a face
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. net — for catching
  22. drill — a practice
  23. firm — steady
  24. net — after costs

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