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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: firm · bay · date · mark · ruler · snap · file · saw

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. file — a tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — steady
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a line of people

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