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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: snap · deal · can · rush · content · pop · leaves · stem

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — hurry
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. snap — to click
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pop — soda
  22. content — happy
  23. pop — music
  24. can — a tin

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