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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: bear · spell · rest · can · cell · wake · tube · foot

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — a tin
  10. cell — a phone
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spell — magic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — a trail
  24. tube — a container

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