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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. snap — to click
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — a weight
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — shares
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stem — to come from
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — goods
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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