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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: foot · bear · date · snap · spell · can · deal · row

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. row — a line
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. row — to paddle
  7. spell — letters
  8. can — to be able to
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spell — magic
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. date — the fruit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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