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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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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: staff · snap · rock · lean · cold · firm · pound · mark

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. firm — decided
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — a grade
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — thin
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cold — not warm
  16. firm — a company
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. snap — to click
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — steady
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rock — 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