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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 120 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: last · snap · face · mate · spring · rest · can · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — finally
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to click
  11. spring — the season
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. spring — a coil

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