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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: spell · toast · track · dip · snap · arm · rule · bowl

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rule — government
  7. track — a path
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. snap — to click
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — letters
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. toast — bread
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rule — a law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — a song

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