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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: snap · spell · last · toast · stock · mouse · can · drill

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — shares
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. drill — army training
  12. spell — magic
  13. last — to go on
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spell — a short time
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — bread
  19. last — finally
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. drill — the tool

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