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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: roll · ground · content · wave · firm · bank · nail · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ground — crushed
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. firm — a company
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. content — the amount
  15. snap — to click
  16. roll — a list
  17. firm — decided
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — for money
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — happy
  24. roll — a cake

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