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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · cell · snap · stock · rule · spring · season · spell

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. snap — to click
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. file — a document
  6. rule — government
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — magic
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — a short time
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. file — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — of the year
  19. rule — a law
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — letters
  24. stock — a soup base

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