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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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Word bank
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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 · tube · dip · staff · snap · charge · lean · stick

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. charge — a price
  3. snap — to click
  4. tube — a container
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. staff — a stick
  9. firm — decided
  10. tube — the underground
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. charge — in control
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. firm — a company
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lean — thin
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — to sink

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