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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. row — to paddle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — a line
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — animal skin

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