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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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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: stick · stand · can · swing · snap · fork · spell · spring

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The flowers bloom in 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. stand — on your feet
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stand — to bear
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — magic
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spring — the season
  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