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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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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: lie · content · snap · can · race · deal · spring · arm

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. deal — to handle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — to be able to
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. race — the arms race
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — a contest
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spring — the season
  22. race — humankind
  23. snap — to click
  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