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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: snap · wake · chip · bulb · band · pit · bore · firm

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pit — a hole
  3. firm — decided
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a music group
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — a company
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — steady
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chip — for betting

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