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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 120 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: spring · object · snap · foot · content · rock · stick · spell

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — to protest
  7. rock — music
  8. spring — of water
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spell — magic
  12. spring — the season
  13. spell — a short time
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spring — a coil
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. object — an aim
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. snap — to click

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