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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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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: foot · spell · roll · last · can · prune · hand · rush

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. last — finally
  3. rush — hurry
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. last — to go on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — final
  17. roll — a list
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. foot — a measure
  24. prune — the fruit

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