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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 116 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: mug · deal · rock · firm · snap · content · object · stand

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. content — happy
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mug — a face
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — music
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mug — a cup
  17. firm — a company
  18. content — the amount
  19. object — to protest
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mug — to rob

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