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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: saw · rash · stock · spell · foot · stand · wake · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rash — a series
  4. spell — a short time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spell — magic
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spell — letters

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