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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · cap · rash · rush · can · stick · prune · snap

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — letters
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cap — of ice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spell — magic
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a hat
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to click
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cap — a lid

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